Towns Hit For Pitches On Pipeline

October 30, 1985|By John Schmeltzer.

Four Du Page County municipalities were cited Tuesday by State`s Atty. James Ryan for violating a state law by urging residents to vote in favor of the Lake Michigan water pipeline proposal in next week`s election.

But the Du Page Water Commission was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Ryan said officials of Wheaton, Carol Stream, Roselle and Lombard have been directed to stop using water bills or other mailed statements to urge residents to vote in favor of the bond issue.

``That practice does violate the spirit of the state law, and the municipalities involved have responded to the state`s attorney`s concern by deleting any reference to the water referendum,`` Ryan said.

No other action will be taken against the offending municipalities or officials involved, because the statements urging a ``yes`` vote didn`t increase the cost of preparing and mailing the water bills, he said.

The state law reads: ``No public funds shall be used to urge any elector to vote for or against any candidate or proposition. . . . This provision shall not prohibit the use of public funds for dissemination of factual information relative to any proposition appearing on an election ballot.``

Wheaton officials had inserted a line on their water bills to residents, saying, ``Vote Nov. 5 for Quality Lake Michigan Water.``

In Lombard, officials used the water bills to send a message reading,

``Guarantee Lombard`s future water supply and improve its quality. Vote Yes on the November 5 Referendum to bring Lake Michigan water to Du Page County.`` Carol Stream and Roselle officials used wording on their water bills similar to Lombard`s phrasing, according to 1st Assistant State`s Atty. Robert Kilander.

Voters will be asked Tuesday to approve the issuing of $150 million in general obligation bonds and the imposition of a .25 percent sales tax to repay those bonds. The money is needed to build the Chicago-to-Du Page County lake water pipeline.

In clearing the water commission of wrongdoing, Ryan said, ``The materials which have been prepared at public expense do not urge electors to vote for or against bonds to bring Lake Michigan water to Du Page County.``

Among the materials challenged were bumper stickers, lapel buttons and balloons urging residents to vote in the referendum. The items are part of the commission`s $65,000 ``education campaign`` to inform county voters about the referendum proposal.

The materials used the term ``H2OK?``--a play on the scientific notation for water, H2O.

Shawn Denney, head of the Illinois attorney general`s opinion division, said last week that the material might be in violation of the law. But he acknowledged that a person ``can come quite close to advocating passage``

without violating the statute.

The commission`s information specialist, Kenneth Murison, also sent out advertisements for use in newspapers. Those ads contained the message ``Vote Yes! Nov. 5th.`` Denney said that material, if paid for with public funds, was a violation of the law.

But Kilander said the state`s attorney`s office has been assured that the commission will not be billed for that material. Murison said he was paying for it out of his own pocket.